USS Butte (AE-27)
Encyclopedia
The second USS Butte (AE-27) was a Kilauea-class
ammunition ship
in the United States Navy
. She was laid down 21 July 1966 by General Dynamics Quincy Shipbuilding Division at Quincy, Massachusetts
and was christened and launched 9 August 1967. She was commissioned on 14 December 1968 in the Boston Naval Shipyard and assigned to the U.S. Atlantic Fleet
, originally homeported in Norfolk, Virginia
.
in 1970, Butte was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation
for her peacekeeping role in that operation.
From December 1972 to July 1973 she operated in the Tonkin Gulf and was awarded the Vietnam Service Medal
with one battle star.
Shortly after getting underway from Norfolk on 3 September 1974, Butte suffered a major fire in the main switchboard, disrupting all ship support electrical supply. She was towed back to the naval base for repairs which included replacing the switchboard.
In July 1978, Buttes homeport was temporarily shifted to Brooklyn
, New York
where she underwent a major overhaul. In June 1979, her homeport then became Naval Weapons Station Earle, New Jersey
. Butte underwent another major overhaul in Mobile, Alabama
from August 1985 to May 1986. Butte was a big part of Operation Goldenrod during a 1987 Mediterranean deployment when she helped with the arrest of two Lebanese terrorists in international waters off the coast of Lebanon
.
Butte was in Brooklyn, NY for a short Phased Maintenance refitting yard period from April 1990 to September 1990 while Operation: Desert Shield was conducted. During the Brooklyn yard period, the ship was outfitted to accommodate its new female crew members. The shipyard allegedly did substandard repair work on the ship, and went bankrupt while the ship was in dry dock. The U.S. Navy sent the Butte to the shipyards at Naval Station Philadelphia for inspection of work already done by the Brooklyn yard and to finish the repair work. The Butte would later spend a month off the coast of Cuba near Guantanamo Bay for pre-deployment Damage Control and firefighting training. The Butte did in fact, deploy to the Mediterranean in support of continuing operations in the Persian Gulf and Kuwait, and the crew received the Southwest Asia Service ribbon.
's Battlegroup. She spent October 1995 operating in the Adriatic Sea
, supporting air strikes in Bosnia
as part of Operation Deliberate Force. The ship also visited Cannes
, France
as the U.S. Navy's representative to the annual Admiral de Grasse birthday celebration. In mid November, Butte headed south through the Suez Canal
into the Red Sea
. The ship delivered turkeys and other supplies for holiday meals to United States embassies in Jordan
, Eritrea
, Yemen
and Djibouti
. Upon departure from the Persian Gulf
, Butte returned to the Adriatic, supporting the NATO Peace Implementation Forces in Operation Joint Endeavor. Between operations in the Adriatic in January and February, she spent her time completing ammunition exchanges and "rollback" among the ammunition facilities in the Mediterranean. On her way home across the Atlantic in February 1996, Butte and America conducted the last underway replenishment operation for America prior to her decommission. Butte was scheduled to return to port on 24 February 1996, however, offsetting winds around Sandy Point
, kept her from entering port until 3 days later.
, where she became USNS Butte (T-AE-27). Like five of the six other ships of her class, she was overhauled upon the transfer: accommodations were improved, the main armament was taken out and she was outfitted for reduced civilian crewing. On 24 May 2004, she was put out of service by the MSC, stricken from the Naval Vessel Register
and transferred to the NAVSEA Inactive Ships Maintenance Facility in Philadelphia awaiting her disposal. On 3 July 2006, Butte was sunk as a target off the east coast of the United States
using Tomahawk and Harpoon missiles and a Mark 48 torpedo
fired from USS San Juan
. Coincidentally, the previous USS Butte
was also sunk deliberately in 1948 after use as a target ship in Operation Crossroads
.
Kilauea class ammunition ship
The Kilauea class ammunition ship is a class of eight United States Navy cargo vessels designed for underway replenishment of naval warships. The ships were constructed 1968–72 and were initially commissioned naval ships, carrying a crew of naval personnel...
ammunition ship
Ammunition ship
An ammunition ship is a warship specially configured to carry ammunition, usually for Navy ships and aircraft. Their cargo handling systems, designed with extreme safety in mind, include ammunition hoists with airlocks between decks, and mechanisms for flooding entire compartments with sea water in...
in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. She was laid down 21 July 1966 by General Dynamics Quincy Shipbuilding Division at Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Its nicknames are "City of Presidents", "City of Legends", and "Birthplace of the American Dream". As a major part of Metropolitan Boston, Quincy is a member of Boston's Inner Core Committee for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council...
and was christened and launched 9 August 1967. She was commissioned on 14 December 1968 in the Boston Naval Shipyard and assigned to the U.S. Atlantic Fleet
U.S. Atlantic Fleet
The United States Fleet Forces Command is an Atlantic Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources that are under the operational control of the United States Northern Command...
, originally homeported in Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
.
Service history
During the crisis in JordanJordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
in 1970, Butte was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation
Meritorious Unit Commendation
The Meritorious Unit Commendation is a mid-level unit award of the United States military which is awarded to any military command which displays exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service, heroic deeds, or valorous actions....
for her peacekeeping role in that operation.
From December 1972 to July 1973 she operated in the Tonkin Gulf and was awarded the Vietnam Service Medal
Vietnam Service Medal
The Vietnam Service Medal is a military award which was created in 1965 by order of President Lyndon B. Johnson. The distinctive design was the creation of sculptor Thomas Hudson Jones, a former employee of the Army Institute of Heraldry. The medal is issued to recognize military service during...
with one battle star.
Shortly after getting underway from Norfolk on 3 September 1974, Butte suffered a major fire in the main switchboard, disrupting all ship support electrical supply. She was towed back to the naval base for repairs which included replacing the switchboard.
In July 1978, Buttes homeport was temporarily shifted to Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
where she underwent a major overhaul. In June 1979, her homeport then became Naval Weapons Station Earle, New Jersey
Naval Weapons Station Earle
Naval Weapons Station Earle is a United States Navy base in New Jersey. Its distinguishing feature is a 2.9-mile pier in Sandy Hook Bay where ammunition can be loaded and unloaded from warships at a safe distance from land....
. Butte underwent another major overhaul in Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
from August 1985 to May 1986. Butte was a big part of Operation Goldenrod during a 1987 Mediterranean deployment when she helped with the arrest of two Lebanese terrorists in international waters off the coast of Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
.
Butte was in Brooklyn, NY for a short Phased Maintenance refitting yard period from April 1990 to September 1990 while Operation: Desert Shield was conducted. During the Brooklyn yard period, the ship was outfitted to accommodate its new female crew members. The shipyard allegedly did substandard repair work on the ship, and went bankrupt while the ship was in dry dock. The U.S. Navy sent the Butte to the shipyards at Naval Station Philadelphia for inspection of work already done by the Brooklyn yard and to finish the repair work. The Butte would later spend a month off the coast of Cuba near Guantanamo Bay for pre-deployment Damage Control and firefighting training. The Butte did in fact, deploy to the Mediterranean in support of continuing operations in the Persian Gulf and Kuwait, and the crew received the Southwest Asia Service ribbon.
Final deployment
In September 1995, Butte began her last deployment as part of the USS AmericaUSS America
USS America may refer to:, a 74-gun ship of the line, laid down in 1777, but not launched until 1782.* America pressed into United States naval service as a picket boat during the Civil War., was part of the Civil War “Stone Fleet” deliberately sunk to block the harbor in Charleston, S.C...
's Battlegroup. She spent October 1995 operating in the Adriatic Sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
, supporting air strikes in Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
as part of Operation Deliberate Force. The ship also visited Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
as the U.S. Navy's representative to the annual Admiral de Grasse birthday celebration. In mid November, Butte headed south through the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
into the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
. The ship delivered turkeys and other supplies for holiday meals to United States embassies in Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
, Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
and Djibouti
Djibouti
Djibouti , officially the Republic of Djibouti , is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at the east...
. Upon departure from the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
, Butte returned to the Adriatic, supporting the NATO Peace Implementation Forces in Operation Joint Endeavor. Between operations in the Adriatic in January and February, she spent her time completing ammunition exchanges and "rollback" among the ammunition facilities in the Mediterranean. On her way home across the Atlantic in February 1996, Butte and America conducted the last underway replenishment operation for America prior to her decommission. Butte was scheduled to return to port on 24 February 1996, however, offsetting winds around Sandy Point
Sandy Point
-Locations in Australia:*Sandy Point, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney*Sandy Point, Victoria-Locations in Canada:*Sandy Point, Newfoundland and Labrador, now an island due to erosion* Sandy Point, Nova Scotia, a town at the southern tip of the peninsula...
, kept her from entering port until 3 days later.
Decommissioning
She was decommissioned on 3 June 1996 and placed in service with the Military Sealift CommandMilitary Sealift Command
The Military Sealift Command is a United States Navy organization that controls most of the replenishment and military transport ships of the Navy. It first came into existence on 9 July 1949 when the Military Sea Transportation Service became solely responsible for the Department of Defense's...
, where she became USNS Butte (T-AE-27). Like five of the six other ships of her class, she was overhauled upon the transfer: accommodations were improved, the main armament was taken out and she was outfitted for reduced civilian crewing. On 24 May 2004, she was put out of service by the MSC, stricken from the Naval Vessel Register
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
and transferred to the NAVSEA Inactive Ships Maintenance Facility in Philadelphia awaiting her disposal. On 3 July 2006, Butte was sunk as a target off the east coast of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
using Tomahawk and Harpoon missiles and a Mark 48 torpedo
Mark 48 torpedo
The Mark 48 and its improved ADCAP variant are heavyweight submarine-launched torpedoes. They were designed to sink fast, deep-diving nuclear-powered submarines and high-performance surface ships.-History:...
fired from USS San Juan
USS San Juan (SSN-751)
USS San Juan , a , was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for San Juan, Puerto Rico. The contract to build her was awarded to the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in Groton, Connecticut on 30 November 1982 and her keel was laid down on 9 August 1985. She was...
. Coincidentally, the previous USS Butte
USS Butte (APA-68)
USS Butte was a serving in the United States Navy during World War II. She was launched on 20 July,1944 by Consolidated Steel Corporation, Wilmington, California, under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. Thomas W. Mearns; acquired on 21 November 1944; and commissioned the next day,...
was also sunk deliberately in 1948 after use as a target ship in Operation Crossroads
Operation Crossroads
Operation Crossroads was a series of nuclear weapon tests conducted by the United States at Bikini Atoll in mid-1946. It was the first test of a nuclear weapon after the Trinity nuclear test in July 1945...
.